


Fighting Fire with Knives

by davonysus



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, F/F, Mentions of alcohol, No Lesbians Die, Taverns, canon-typical radiation effects, this could be considered a shrek AU if you tilt your head and squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/davonysus/pseuds/davonysus
Summary: When Vespa is freed from the dungeons of Cerberus Castle by Princess Aurinko, her life is changed forever.
Relationships: Buddy Aurinko/Vespa Ilkay
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7
Collections: TPP Valentine's Exchange





	Fighting Fire with Knives

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adverbialstarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adverbialstarlight/gifts).



> for ly <3  
> happy valentine's day!!
> 
> thank you so much for a) making the vday exchange so so wonderful and b) allowing me to create such a fun story!!!
> 
> vesbud created love and i am simply here to share that with the world in a cute fairytale story!  
> ~
> 
> huge thanks to cai, ec & rachel for being excellent betas & imprisoning me for my em dash crimes <3

Once upon a time, in a land far away, lived a criminal by the name of Vespa Ilkay. She had not been born a criminal, merely become one out of necessity, but those details are unimportant to this story. Know only that she was more skilled with a blade than most could ever dream to be in a thousand lifetimes, and that though she thought she only had a heart  _ for _ gold, it was a heart  _ of _ gold that was about to turn her life upside down.

This story begins in the dungeons of Cerberus Castle, where Vespa paced the cell she had occupied for eight moons. Something didn’t feel right in the air. She had always been a superstitious woman, but there was also a hint of change on the breeze that night — what little of it made it through the cracks in her cell’s stone walls, at least. So Vespa continued to pace, ears craned for something she couldn’t quite place.

She wasn’t kept waiting long. The sound of a distant scuffle had barely reached her ears when suddenly the clink of keys rattled outside her cell, gone as quickly as the wind. Vespa watched the door creak open, stunned silence surrounding her before she realised what had transpired. From the sounds of it, the other cell doors had met the same fate and shouts began to sound outside, breaking Vespa from her trance.

Stepping out into the long crowd and into the small crowd that had formed outside her cell, Vespa felt her heart catch in her throat as her eyes finally settled on the woman responsible for freeing them from their chained fates. A dress of soft blue contrasted with hair of fiery red as the woman turned the corner ahead as if in slow motion. Time seemed to stand still as the woman glanced back for what must have only been a mere heartbeat and yet to Vespa, felt like an eternity. Their eyes met as she threw back her hair in an echoing laugh, so serene and reverent. If not for the shoulder to shoulder contact with her fellow prisoners, Vespa felt she would have collapsed to her knees.

She had never been a woman of God, but in that moment, as that laughter rang so clearly down to where she stood, Vespa found herself believing in a force greater than herself. Call it destiny, call it fate; her heart had never felt so alive. A moment passed, and then she was gone, disappearing behind the castle walls once again and taking with her the laughter that called out to something deep within Vespa’s soul.

The inmates scrambled to escape in the following minutes — the guards may have been tricked, but they would not remain so for long — and yet Vespa went by in a daze, following the crowd until it had breached the castle walls and the night’s cool air was upon her face once more. This was where she belonged, out in the open air with a sea of stars above her and the open fields of Cerberus before her. Yet for all that her body usually craved this freedom, Vespa wished she were back in the corridor she’d occupied mere moments ago. The song of the breeze and the dance of the flickering shadows between the hills that usually welcomed her was dull, distant; her mind was instead alight with the echo of a laugh and the vibrance of a red hue that was branded on her memory.

Vespa was enamoured, how could she not be? She knew she would go to the ends of the earth to see that woman again, to hear her laugh as the corners of her lips pulled up so freely, to catch but a glimpse of her in the distance. But if Vespa’s suspicions were true — and they usually were — the woman who had spared her life that eve was none other than the daughter of King Aurinko, meaning the only chance she would have to be in her presence again would be to commit a crime worthy of being thrown back in the dungeons. More than that, she would have to be caught doing so, and let it be known that Vespa Ilkay  _ never _ gets caught — the circumstances leading to her previous imprisonment aside, of course.

~

The sun was barely below the horizon the next day when Vespa stepped into the bustling town where she planned to take rest. Pulling her hood lower over her features, ensuring the telltale green of her hair was hidden from prying eyes, she followed the cobblestone streets to the town centre. The inn was easy to locate, as was the nobleman whose purse would fund her stay that night. Boisterous and proud, it mattered not whether the tales he was regaling his men with were true, only that he wore the colours of a neighbouring kingdom and his furs were finer quality than a commoner could afford. An easy target. This was a steal she’d be able to pull off unnoticed; the man was boasting so loudly that there was no question that he’d had more than his share of ale and it would be a simple sleight of hand as she appeared to take a wrong turn in pursuit of the inn’s entrance.

The motions came as effortlessly to her as breathing; within minutes she was through the tavern doors and taking a seat on a stool by the bar, signalling for something to take the edge off as she took stock of her find. Vespa was closer to the city than she’d like in this town, usually preferring to keep to the outskirts of the kingdom, and her tastebuds were shocked by the sweeter pour than she had grown accustomed to. Not one to complain, she kept her hood up as she slid a piece of silver across to the barkeep, fingers darting back within her cloak as he turned away. 

Feeling around inside the coin purse, Vespa ran her fingers over smooth gold and the slightly jagged cuts of silver. She had been in this line of work long enough that the pads of her fingertips were sensitive to the touch of each, and a satisfied smile briefly graced her lips upon realising that despite his obvious exaggerations, the man outside had indeed been of noble blood. There was enough in here to sustain her for at least a season, maybe two.

As a lone traveller, Vespa often chose the stools at the bar to assure that larger groups would leave her be, and other solo parties rarely approached someone sitting on their lonesome with their face covered as hers was. It was a habit that had her defensive mechanisms kicking in as the stranger took their place beside her, and her grasp tightened instinctively around the coin purse. Vespa encouraged her shoulders to divorce her ears as she willed her muscles to relax one at a time, eyes darting quickly beside her to inspect the company.

Whoever they were, they had no intent of giving themself away just yet. Vespa found her position mirrored in the hooded figure beside her, shoulders tilted enough away from her to show that they were making an effort not to be seen. Two could play at that game, she decided. Refusing to lose her steal — or worse, be taken back to the dungeons whence she came — Vespa brought the ale to her mouth once more, intent on finishing it quickly so she could leave before things took an ugly turn. As the contents made their way down her rapidly tightening throat, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as if watchful eyes had suddenly taken a keen interest.

Preparing to take her leave, Vespa pressed her eyes shut for a grounding breath and as she exhaled and pushed her stool back from the bar, her new companion finally spoke.

“Can I buy your next round, darling?”

There was no logical way to explain how Vespa knew who that voice belonged to, only that what she’d felt in the shifting winds before her prison escape had returned now as the flush in her cheeks and the breath hitched in her throat. A quick glance to the side confirmed as much; there was no mistaking the hint of red peeking out from below the hood as anything other than what her mind had been lost on ever since she’d left the dungeons.

Torn between keeping her wits about her and giving in to her heart’s demands, Vespa hesitated on the edge of her stool before throwing caution to the wind and giving a nod in response. 

“Wonderful. Barkeep,” the woman called, flagging the man down. “Another ale for myself and my friend.”

She turned back to Vespa expectantly, and she was so caught up in the moment that it took a few seconds for her to realise there was a question in that statement. Blushing, Vespa dropped her gaze to the empty cup in front of her before giving her name, cringing at the unmistakable shake to her voice.

“Vespa,” the woman repeated. “Lovely to meet you. Officially, that is, I believe we crossed paths last night.”

“Yes. I know who you are,” Vespa said quietly. “Prin—”

Cutting her off with a wave of her hand, the woman shook her head gently. “Please, darling. Call me Buddy.”

Two drinks later and Vespa felt like she’d been pulled headfirst into a lake without being taught how to swim. Buddy leaned in to whisper in her ear and something inside her was set alight; her cheeks flushed with the attention and upon hearing Buddy’s laugh once more, Vespa decided she didn’t mind if this was drowning after all. Falling, sinking — she didn’t much care what the feeling was called. All she knew for certain was that she never wanted to come up for air. As Buddy bid her farewell, Vespa had never before felt so empty yet so complete all at once.

So caught up in adoration, it took Vespa almost a full minute to realise that she felt off balance. A quick search confirmed her suspicions; the coin purse she had stored within the folds of her cloak was missing. Momentary admiration coursed through her, before it gave way to survival instincts and pride. Dashing outside, knocking aside any within the tavern that stood in her path, Vespa made it through the doors to catch sight of Buddy being helped into a carriage by one of her guards. Cursing her slow movements, Vespa debated taking her steal back by force — there were only six guards that she could see, and Vespa was worth at least eight in close combat — but she paused as Buddy turned her gaze upon the doorway where she stood. Their eyes met and Vespa swore she felt her heart stop once again, breath coming short as a wink was thrown her way before the carriage door was pulled shut.

Not meaningless theft then, she realised, but an invitation for another  _ chance _ meeting, and Buddy Aurinko didn’t strike her as one who left much to chance.

  
  


~

  
  


News travelled the kingdom fast, and it had been only two days since Buddy had last crossed Vespa’s path when the whispers at the Inn reached her ears.

_ “—the Princess was locked away—” _

_ “—won’t say what happened—” _

_ “—guarded by fiery beasts—” _

_ “—they say she’s cursed—” _

Hoping desperately that the rumours were untrue, Vespa turned to her own channels for information, heart sinking at their confirmation. There was a curse, one that could only be broken by a kiss. In the meantime, the princess had been taken to the Outer Rim, far across the harsh desert known for conditions worse than anyone cared to tell.

Vespa knew the instant she heard the first whisper that she would do anything to find Buddy danger be damned. She swiftly stole a guard’s armour and headed out into the harsh climate of the Wasteland, ready to fight for the princess’ safe return.

The heavy breastplate pressed down on her chest, the armoured helmet was a foreign feeling on her face. Vespa was thankful for it; without it, her passage would be much more dangerous. Wearing a hooded cloak could only get her so far in these lands, with her distinguishable appearance something sure to be spotted by those who sought to stop her, but more importantly she had heard the whispers of what the Wasteland did to those without proper protection. Armour alone was by no means enough, but it was more than she would have had otherwise and Vespa hadn’t been willing to wait a day longer to depart.

Minutes bled into hours, days bled into weeks. All the while the hot sun beat down on her. While Vespa knew that the whispers she’d heard of the desert were nothing to scoff at, she put them as far from her mind as she could. It was said that nobody who stayed longer than a few hours in the Wasteland made it out unscathed. Few had ever crossed from Cerberus to the Outer Rim and lived to tell the tale. Those Vespa had encountered in her travels were in such a state after their sun exposure that she almost thought they might have been better off letting the desert take them. She thought she saw some of those travellers now; some days it felt like they walked beside her through the great expanse of empty sand as far as the eye could see. Thankful for their company yet terrified of the deeper implications, Vespa soldiered ahead day in and day out with the memory of Buddy’s presence as her North Star, guiding her and anchoring her to what she knew to be real.

It took what felt like an entire season to reach her destination, and by the time she arrived it took a few minutes for her to be entirely convinced what she saw was really there.

Standing tall and menacing before her was the castle, surrounded by a moat that looked to be at least thirty feet wide and she would wager equal parts deep. The drawbridge was pulled shut, sealing off the smooth walls that bordered the castle. No other entrance points were visible from Vespa’s position, but it would take more than an impenetrable fortress to dissuade Vespa from what her weeks of searching had been in pursuit of. Circling around the edge of the moat, she took her time assessing the castle walls. As Vespa rounded the bend to the rear, she struck gold; footholds in the wall that looked easy enough to climb — compared to the rest of it, at the very least — and some driftwood lower on the moat’s bank that could be used to sail across if she pushed off with enough force.

Perhaps she should have been more skeptical, but so much time spent walking the desert in a delirious haze had Vespa refusing to question the ease with which she breached the castle walls. She pulled herself over the top of them and heaved a weary breath, looking up to gauge the lay of the land. The turret ahead of her called out, pulling on her heartstrings as if there was a thread tying her to Buddy, and she knew without a doubt that it was where she would find the princess. Her relief was short-lived as she soon spotted a shadow moving beyond the castle’s heights and quickly she dropped over the wall, landing heavy on her feet with a wince. Ducking low, she looked up once again and froze, sight becoming clearer now.

At first she thought the dragon rising from behind the spire was another vision she could attribute to her time in the Wasteland and yet as the first jet of flames came soaring her way, Vespa realised that perhaps this creature was rooted in reality after all. Diving behind a stone column she felt the air around her set alight, heat licking at the edges of her armour and making her feel trapped within a furnace. Cursing, she began to wrestle with the ties that bound it to her as she waited for the flames to dissipate. With a triumphant yell, she threw piece after iron piece to the ground around her. Eventually free of the confines she’d relied on for so long, Vespa chanced a peek around to where the dragon hovered above the horizon, a menacing silhouette against the darkening sky. 

Rolling across the ground to the next supporting column, Vespa winced as her arm was singed, slightly too slow to be entirely out of harm’s way before the flames came once more. Nursing the limb for a moment to check nothing was damaged beyond repair, Vespa let out a relieved sigh before finding what remained of her resolve and unsheathing the dagger she kept on her person. The sword she’d taken from the soldier so long ago in Cerberus had been cast aside with her armour and she regretted the impulsive decision, knowing that the extra feet of distance it would put between her and the dragon was valuable, but going back for it would mean losing ground and she couldn’t afford that now.

Bracing herself for the next burst of fire from the dragon’s mouth, Vespa ran as fast as her legs would allow and the heat chasing her heels was matched only by the burn of her lungs as she pushed beyond her limits.  _ Buddy _ , her mind chanted over and over, a desperate, pleading mantra. It was all that kept her going as her skin began to feel the full strength of the flames in the final instant before she made it within the next chamber of the castle.

She knew with absolute certainty that Buddy was in the turret she’d first spied upon arrival; not only because of the feeling in her gut, but also because it was the one closest to where the dragon waited. The only way up was to take the staircase that she knew was bordered by windows and left no opportunity to hide. Clutching the dagger tighter now, she steeled herself for what would be the hardest test yet in this quest. How she wished for an easier passage up, but nothing worth having came easy, did it? That had always proven true for Vespa before. Why had she expected it to be any different now that her heart was involved?

Covertness would be her friend in this endeavour and it beckoned to her now, just like it had done so many times before. Wrapped in stealth’s embrace, Vespa made her way in the shadows of the staircase as silent as the night that had fallen around her. It was only as she rounded the final bend that she realised the dragon’s absence had been less a product of her stealthiness and instead a result of the creature’s own. There it waited- the final obstacle between her and what she knew in her heart to be the door to Buddy’s chamber. Face to face with the dragon now, Vespa squared her shoulders and prepared to fight. To leave now would be the selfish choice, and Vespa was sick and tired of being selfish. She might not make it out of there alive, but finally having someone worth fighting for meant that this was bigger than her and Gods be damned, she wanted that.

There was a heavy silence hanging over the hallway, as if the dragon was sizing her up as a worthy opponent. Vespa had never faced a dragon before, never seen one in the flesh. Looking into the depths of its eyes now she wondered why nobody ever spoke of the humanity that they seemed to possess. There was an understanding there, a wealth of emotions that she somehow understood, which made it all the harder for her to seize the moment as she did.

Throwing the dagger so quickly that she doubted her opponent would see the movement of her hand, Vespa quickly darted across the corridor in the moment that followed, taking advantage of the surprise. The pained howl that was ripped from the dragon’s throat felt too human, too  _ real _ , and Vespa had to remind herself of what lay beyond the door before her to stop from turning back. Seeing the hilt of her dagger protruding from under the dragon’s jaw wouldn’t give her any satisfaction. She didn’t need to look to know that she had found her mark; too many years of practice meant Vespa could spot an enemy’s weakness in a heartbeat. 

As she tore open the door, Vespa felt something clip the back of her ankles and stumbled forward in agony. Shaking it off as a rush of adrenaline filled her veins, she threw herself in the direction she’d entered from and let all of her weight carry the door closed, pushing back the tail that had caught her by surprise. Leaning her back against the door now, eyes pressed tightly shut as her breath came in short bursts, it took Vespa a few moments to realise she was here. Finally, after all of her efforts, Vespa was ready to lay her gaze upon the woman who had kept her heart beating through the Wasteland and beyond. The hint of a smile crossed her face as her eyes snapped open, searching the dimly lit chamber before finding the princess calmly waiting.

“Vespa,” Buddy stood by the window, looking out on the dark night. “I take it you’re here to rescue me?”

Hands shaking as she balled them into fists by her side in an attempt to calm her nerves, Vespa nodded, before realising Buddy wasn’t looking to see. “I’ve come to bring you home, Bud.”

Turning her gaze on Vespa in the doorway, Buddy seemed to stand taller than before. “To Cerberus?”

Flustered at being the sole object of Buddy’s attention and panicked at the thought that she had misread everything, Vespa gulped, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her head and dislodge a shadow from her peripheral. “I…”

Stepping out of the night’s shadows and into the warm flickering light of the room’s lone candle, Buddy arched a brow in question. Here, without her hood or the hair covering her face as usual, Vespa could see Buddy’s face was ashen on one side, seeming to pinch in on itself around her bone structure. That eye was discoloured, though it moved in sync with the other.

_ The curse _ , Vespa remembered. Aloud, she said simply, “To Cerberus, yes.”

“So you haven’t come for this?” Buddy questioned, withdrawing a familiar coin purse from her pocket as her lips pulled up in a teasing smile. 

“You impressed me,” Vespa admitted with a soft laugh, surprising herself in the process. “It’s not often someone’s able to steal from me.”

“I supposed I ought to be pleased that you think there is a promising life of crime ahead of me.”

“Crime is below you,” Vespa sighed, shadows in the corner of her vision darkening and pressing on her deepest fears. “As am I.”

Tilting her head to regard Vespa’s guarded expression, Buddy stepped closer. “Is that truly what you think?”

“Does it really matter what I think?” Vespa was feeling more foolish with every passing minute, wishing she’d let the desert take her. It would hurt less than existing without Buddy by her side. “You’re a princess, and I… I’m just a criminal.”

Slowly, Buddy repeated Vespa’s words back to her. “Just a criminal.” She paused, before shaking her head slowly. “Is that all you have to say?”

“You say it like it’s nothing,” Vespa murmured, to herself more than anything. She could tell Buddy heard her from the pinch of skin between her brows, the way she stepped closer again and took Vespa’s hands in her own.

“If all that stands between you and our future is doubting my sincerity, Vespa…” Her eyes drifted to Vespa’s lips for the briefest of moments, before coming back to hold her in place with the intensity of her stare. “I am yours.”

Hardly daring to breathe for fear it would break the spell, Vespa allowed her eyes to drift close as her lips finally met Buddy’s. The kiss was soft and sweet, everything Vespa had dared to dream of during her weeks and the desert and so much more. It held the promise of a future worth fighting for, of a life worth living with Buddy by her side. 

After a moment, Vespa pulled back and looked to see Buddy’s mismatched eyes on her. She had expected a monumental change, and yet…

“I don’t understand,” Vespa muttered. “Should that not have broken the curse?”

“Curse?” There was a moment before Buddy realised to what she was referring. “Oh, darling. Can you believe I’d almost forgotten about it?”

“But then…” She paused, eyes taking in all of Buddy’s decidedly-unchanged features. “Your face, shouldn’t it be…”

Realisation dawned on Buddy, corners of her lips pulling up in an amused smile. “The desert leaves its mark on everyone in different ways. I am sure you’ve your own stories to tell there?”

Thinking of the shadows that followed her in larger numbers with every passing day, Vespa swallowed nervously before giving a small nod. “I—”

“No matter what they are, darling, do not doubt for a second that they’ll change my mind about you. We’ve all of eternity together now.”

Cheeks flushing as she shook her head, Vespa wondered how it was possible for someone like Buddy Aurinko to exist. In a world that could be so cruel… “You’re really something else, Bud.”

“Yes, well.” Eyes softening as she used her hand to guide Vespa’s jaw up to look at her, Buddy smiled. “I’d hope so, for all that you’ve fought to be here.”

“The dragon!” Vespa remembered, panic taking over her. “Outside your chamber. I made it past but I don’t think I can get us past him again, Bud.”

“While I’m grateful you did what was necessary to find me, I think it’d be best if we refrained from fighting him any further. We’ll never make it back to Cerberus without his help.”

“His… help?”

There it was again, that laugh, melting Vespa’s heart. “Yes, darling. He is my best friend and confidante, after all. We’ve time for explanations later. For now, I’ll show you.”

Confused but not one to doubt her Buddy after travelling so far to find her, Vespa allowed herself to follow Buddy cautiously back the way she came until they made it to the castle entrance. 

A man stood by the castle wall in a brown jacket, waiting for them to approach before speaking. “You must be Vespa. Buddy has told me much about you.”

Looking to Buddy for clarification, Vespa was met with a smile. “I did say he was my best friend and confidante, darling. Meet Jet Siquliak, the man who will guide us safely through the desert on our way home.”

Offering Buddy a nod, Jet turned once again to Vespa. “You fought bravely. I hold no malice towards you for it, as you could not have known I was not a dragon.”

“You — you were the dragon?” Vespa asked, met with his affirmative by way of response. “Then… Buddy was here so long, why couldn’t you—”

“I was cursed to remain here. Buddy accompanied me. It is as simple as that.” The way he spoke was matter of fact, with an air of finality to his words that Vespa suspected was a mannerism more than a dismissal. He turned to direct their attention to a carriage by the raised drawbridge. “I am unable to navigate the skies as I did on our way here. We will take this carriage through the Outer Rim instead.”

“Excellent plan, darling. Vespa dear, would you mind if we left immediately? I take it you have no more attachment to this castle than I do, and I dare say Jet has endured enough at the hands of isolation for one lifetime.”

Vespa didn’t mind, and said as much, following Buddy to the carriage before taking a seat beside her in the compartment as Jet closed the door behind them. Pleasantly surprised as Buddy’s head found its place on her shoulder, Vespa allowed herself a moment to finally let the events that had just transpired sink in.

Buddy was… hers.  _ Hers. _ She had battled her way across the harsh desert and fought a dragon — Jet. Fought Jet to find her. Now that they were together, Vespa had no idea what the future held for them. It was normal for her to not know what each day would bring. It had always filled her with desperation, the stress making itself at home deep within her bones, but with Buddy… Well. Vespa found she didn’t mind not knowing anymore. She would go to the ends of the earth for her Buddy, more so than she already had.

Because they were Buddy and Vespa. Vespa and Buddy. Together, they could do anything; the world was theirs. They would be stars.


End file.
